Iran nukes: Kerry desperate for a deal - any deal

For Kerry, Iran deal would be a legacy hit after many missesBy REUTERS
06/24/2015

Critics and supporters of Kerry agree that an Iran deal would seal Kerry's legacy despite his earlier failures.Washington - If US Secretary of State John Kerry pulls off a nuclear deal with Iran, it will be a singular achievement in a long career in which the grand prize has eluded him.His 2004 presidential election loss, lack of legislative monuments despite 28 years in the Senate, and failure, like many before, to bring peace to Israelis and Palestinians have contributed to a view that he struggles to seal major successes.The 71-year-old has expended remarkable energy in pursuit of what would be an historic agreement with Iran, flying tens of thousands of miles and holding dozens of meetings with his Iranian counterpart. He plans to attend the possible last stage of the nuclear talks in Vienna ahead of a June 30 deadline, despite breaking his leg late last month.[...]Still, critics say he has broken some classic rules of negotiation, overshadowing the principal US negotiator Wendy Sherman; meeting Iranians regularly rather than holding himself in reserve; and exuding an air of eagerness for a deal.Veteran negotiators say Kerry's willingness to meet the Iranians so often makes it look like he is chasing a deal, rather than intervening only when the toughest issues remain."Being secretary of state by odometer is a very false measure," said Richard Armitage, a deputy secretary of state under Republican President George W. Bush."The administration is too eager," added Armitage. "Iranians can smell this. [emphasis mine] And if the secretary of state is willing to airmail himself in at the 11th and a half hour every time, what incentive is it for the Iranians to give you their bottom line?"...